The Daily News. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1918. ENEMY'S PEACE IDEAS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1918. ENEMY'S PEACE IDEAS.

Germany has replied to the Entente 's statesmen in regard to the terms of peace. She has put up an inconsequential individual in the person of the Vice-Chancellor (von Payer) to state her terms. Jfhe latter offer not the slightest hope of the termination *A the ]?ar by other than military means. For this we are gratefti", as, had the terms been less impossible, it is conceivable that the peace fatuitin coaotriesyjMid

particularly in Britain—may have been led to a premature discussion of the basis on which, a satisfactory and durable peace can be founded. The only effective peace will be one imposed on Germany at the point of the sword—the only argument she understands. Her belief in militarism as the fashioner of national greatness, in the false doctrine that might is right, and that small nations have no rights, can only be destroyed on the field of battle. There is no other way. That is a fact the pacifist will never face or acknowledge. But it is one we must never lose sight of, or we have not learned the greatest lesson taught by the past four terrible years. Yon Payer, speaking on behalf of the militarists, who are still firmly in the saddle in Germany, declared that his country would not allow the states on her eastern frontier and the Baltic littoral to go back to Russia, nor would she consider for a moment the review of her treaties with Russia, Roumania and the Ukraine. The Entente, however, is determined that Germany shall disgorge'the Russian possessions, and that Poland shall be reconstituted as a separate nation, with its own ports, and be given its old sovereign rights. Equally determined are they that Roumania shall be liberated from the humiliating conditions placed upon her as the result of the Russians' perfidy in deserting her and leaving her to the tender mercies of her traditional enemies. The Same applies to Ukraine, though it is likely that before very long any hold that Germany has over that part 6f Russia will be loosened by the actions of the oppressed Ukrainians themselves, who now see the nature of the disaster her traitors have led them into. Of course Germany wishes to retain her hold over these rich lands, for the reason that in the course of a few decades under Teuton direction they would be developed into formidable military states, with the aid of which Germany could again threaten the peace of the world. It must never be forgotten that if Germany emerged from this war with her eastern and south-western gains intact, and even shorn of Alsace-Lorraine and driven out of Northern France and Belgium, she would have won the war. For the sake of the preservation of peace it would be the rankest folly for the Allies to consider for a moment the retention by Germany of her present position m the east. Germany is quite ready to evacuate Belgium, says von Payer, providing Germany receives back her colonies. Both Mr. Moyd George and President "Wilson have laid it down as a first condition of the discussion of peace terms that Belgium must not only be evacuated, but restitution and reparation made as far as is humanly possible, so that it is a waste of time for Germany to endeavor to use Belgium as a pawn. As for the colonies, the British colonies and Britain herself seem to be determined that, come what may, they must never be restored to Germany, who has, with that blatant arrogance characteristic oi the detestable race, made it quite clear that these colonies are to be used as a means to an endto later on attack British seapower, and disintegrate her empire. Neither Britain nor her colonies are in need of further lands; they have as mufch as they can assimilate or develop, and don t want the German possessions, which, as a matter of : fact, were available long before Germany became a united nation and a power of any consequence; but they do desire to live in peace in future, and not have to spend millions of money required so badly for reconstruction purposes, on maintaining armaments, for the German will never again be trusted to keep the peace, and therefore should never be given the opportunity to provoke a breach of it. The sublime part of von Payer's speech was that referring to Germany's dissociation -with the starting of the war. "Germany," he says, "is deeply convinced that as the innocent and attacked party she was entitled to indemnification, but the prosecution of the war to that point would cost her such a heavy sacrifice implacable by money that she preferred on calm reflection, despite her favorable military situation, to abandon this idea, quite apart from the fact that forcibly urging compensation would inevitably jeopardise the future peace." " The innocent and attacked party!" Who but a German would have the audacity at this time of the day to* make such a transparently false statement to a world long ago; completely satisfied as to G«r-' inany's guilt in the great Grime against the human race? To discuss the ques ton of peace with a nation so unrepentant, so self-sat-isfied, and still bo arrogant is kit a waste of time. We wa& get on with the war, and crash Germany and all the evils for which shfi'trnashamedly stands. The enemycountries, seeing that the war is* now Betting against them, and that retribution is about to ower-j take them, liave now launched tjfr§ir jj>eaee oilfefißive in, earnest.'

Austria-Hungary asks for a conference, and talks in a vague way of the possible good that may result from the belligerents coming together and talking together. At the same time Germany makes a definite offer to Belgium to "pull out" and adopt a neutral position. The Huns' game is obvious. They see that the forces of the Allies are about to break through, and desire Belgium to act as a buffer and a protection for the flanks of Germany. This, after the unspeakable manner in which they have maltreated poor, unoffending Belgium! Belgium has lost nearly her all at the hands of these unspeakable tyrants, but she has not yet lost her soul, which will rise triumphant above the sordid offer now made to win her favor. We can anticipate how Belgium will spurn this latest act of Teuton perfidy.